


Surety

by Morpheus626



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:21:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26170108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morpheus626/pseuds/Morpheus626
Summary: Written for the DL server Bingo Card prompt-Kiss: Corner of MouthSet in 1977, pre the 1977 A Day at the Races UK/European tour.tw for descriptions of being sick, mentions of vomiting. Nothing overly descriptive, but better safe than sorry in warning for it I figure!Otherwise, just your average sick fic w/some discussion about what it means to be there for someone, and the importance of that. Lots of reassurance and love to be found in this fic!
Relationships: Brian May/Freddie Mercury
Kudos: 22
Collections: Dork Lovers Server Challenges





	Surety

“You need to rest,” Freddie fussed. 

“I’m fine,” Brian said, looking anything other than fine. 

It was just some sort of a flu bug in theory, and they’d all had it and passed it to one another as tended to happen with most colds and flus, but even so, Brian had been hit hard by it. 

“You are not fine,” Freddie tutted. “Fine means you would be up and running about. Fine means you wouldn’t be running to the bathroom every five minutes-” 

“I’m at every fifteen now, thank you very much,” Brian interrupted with a rough-sounding cough and gag. “Though, since you mention...” 

He had a spare bowl, used only for when they were sick, in front of Brian’s face before he could blink, and before he could vomit all over himself and the blankets Freddie had piled on him. 

“Sorry,” Brian muttered weakly, watching as Freddie cleaned up. 

“No need to be sorry, you can’t help it,” Freddie said. “But will you listen to me now, when I say you need to rest?” 

Brian nodded. “I can try, if nothing else.” 

“You’ll more than try,” Freddie said. “It isn’t like the next tour run starts tomorrow, but even so...” 

He finished rinsing the bowl in the nearby bathroom sink, and strode back in to sit by Brian on the bed. “We need you in fighting form by then. I won’t go on stage without you.” 

Brian attempted a laugh, that turned into a groan as he reached for the bowl again. Still, he managed to talk through it. “I’ll be fine by May. You know that. This is just the flu.” 

“I know,” Freddie said. “But that doesn’t stop me from taking care of you now, just to be sure of it.” 

“You just want to baby me,” Brian scowled. 

“Hush,” Freddie said. “It isn’t babying you to make sure you don’t fall out of bed, or be sick all over yourself.” 

“I could be fine on my own if I had to be,” Brian said. 

Freddie sighed. “You’re as bad as I am with that stubborn streak, do you know? There is no harm in letting someone else care for you when you need the help.” 

“I’m not arguing against that,” Brian said. 

“Then what are you arguing, exactly?” Freddie asked. “Or are you arguing for the sake of keeping yourself awake, and it doesn’t matter what about?” 

Brian opened his mouth, then closed it, then grinned. “Don’t you sit there and be right like that. I won’t have it.” 

“Oh you won’t, will you?” Freddie laughed. “Then maybe you’d ought to nap, so you won’t have to see me being right about all this.” 

“I’m tired of sleeping,” Brian muttered, but let himself drop back onto the pillows (another Freddie intervention, stacked as much as he could manage with the few they had.) “Maybe it’s all the sleeping, making it worse.” 

“Considering last night you slept maybe two hours,” Freddie said. “I’m going to go with no on that idea.” 

Brian waved his disagreement, but his eyes fluttered shut as he snuggled into the pillows. 

“See?” Freddie asked softly, pulling the blanket over Brian as much as he could without accidentally pulling it off of covering Brian’s feet and calves. “The rest of you agrees with me. You need the nap. I’ll be right in the next room if you need me. I’m not going anywhere.” 

“I know,” Brian murmured. “You never would.” 

“No,” Freddie said. “I wouldn’t.” 

\---

He woke up to the sound of retching, and promptly ran his foot into the side of the bedroom doorway as he tried to make it quickly to Brian.

He was still half-asleep, and had managed to reach the bowl, but looked utterly miserable, with tears in his eyes. 

“S’alright,” Freddie mumbled, wiping the sleep out of his own eyes before taking charge of clean up. “Rest there, I’ve got this.” 

He felt terrible, for falling asleep on the couch, for not hearing Brian being sick sooner, for not being able to help him more out of that horrible state of being sick but barely awake enough to realize what was going on. 

It took him a good few minutes to clean and have the bowl ready for use again, but even by then, Brian still looked stunned and out of it. 

“I’ll get you water,” Freddie said, and set the bowl back down by Brian’s side. 

Before he could move, Brian’s hand grabbed his wrist and kept him there. 

“You aren’t awake yet, are you?” Freddie whispered. 

“I think I was sick,” Brian murmured. “Was I?” 

Freddie nodded. “But you’re alright. Everything is cleaned up. I was going to get you water, a cold cloth. If you let me go, I can do that for you.” 

Brian nodded, then shook his head. “Don’t want you to go.” 

“I’m not going anywhere other than the bathroom and the kitchen,” Freddie said reassuringly. “Promise.” 

He rested a hand on Brian’s forehead before he moved, and winced at the heat of it. No wonder Brian wasn’t coherent. 

“Tell you what?” Freddie asked as cheerfully as he could manage. “How about a bath? Nice and cool, and I’ll be with you the whole time?” 

Brian nodded, but moving him was a tough thing to manage. He felt tired, his limbs heavy and rubbery even as he let Freddie help get him out of his clothes, and into the bathroom. 

“I admit, I fear for leaning you here like this,” Freddie sighed, watching Brian with a hawk’s eye as he started the bath. “I’ve got to go get ice from the kitchen for this though. Are you alright if I go?” 

“Long as you come back,” Brian mumbled, and leaned his head against the side of the doorway. 

He moved as quickly as he could, listening for any sound of movement from the bathroom.

But luckily, Brian had remained propped where he was, eyes half closed.

Freddie finished the bath, and motioned for Brian, then waved a hand. “No! Never mind, let me come to you.” 

Brian smiled at that. “You just want to touch me.” 

“Are you actually turned on right now?” Freddie scoffed, then looked to Brian’s lower half. “Oh. Well. Kudos and congratulations, but this isn’t the time for it, darling. You’ll have to save that for later, when you’re better.” 

“I’m getting better,” Brian said, then winced as he settled into the cold bath. “Why am I in here again?” 

“You’re waking up,” Freddie laughed. “Think for a moment.” 

Brian paused, then nodded. “Right. Was sick. In here because...too hot?” 

“And frankly, it’s scaring me a bit,” Freddie said. “Listen to yourself right now.” 

“Right, right,” Brian said, and shook his head. “Sorry. God, the cold is a hell of a shock. Feeling less foggy now.” 

“Good,” Freddie said. “I know it’s cold, but it’ll help, I think. Can I grab you a glass of water now?” 

Brian nodded, but Freddie could feel his eyes watching him as he left the bathroom. Even if he wasn’t in any sort of danger zone with the fever, he was tired and sick enough to let worry take over. 

And clearly, some worry about Freddie leaving was at the front of that list. 

He returned with the glass, and watched as Brian sipped, then gulped it down.

“Brian,” he said softly as he took the empty glass from him, and leaned against the portion of wall near the bathtub. “This might not be the best time to talk about this-” 

He paused, then shrugged. “Actually, if I try to bring this up when you’re well again, you might not be willing to talk about it. So maybe slightly feverish is the best state for this.” 

Brian looked at him curiously. “I’m awake now, at least. Feeling better, cooler. The water was good.” 

Freddie nodded. “Can I ask you about something?” 

Brian nodded hesitantly. 

“Since you’ve been sick, this sick, I mean. You keep bringing up me leaving. That I won’t, or that you don’t want me to, even if I’m not going more than a room away. Can we talk about that?” 

Brian looked away, but nodded fully this time. “It’s stupid.” 

“Feeling that sort of a fear isn’t stupid, exactly,” Freddie said. “I’ve felt it too, with various people, before. But it is irrational, in this case.” 

“I know that,” Brian said. “Normally I can chase it away, not dwell on it. I don’t even know why it comes up, I know you wouldn’t ever just...go, leave me and be gone without a word.” 

“I wouldn’t,” Freddie agreed. “If nothing else, can you imagine how awkward the concerts would be?” 

Brian laughed. “Stop it.” 

“No, think about it! How on earth would we get through a show?” Freddie giggled. “But then, don’t bother thinking about it, because it would never happen. I’m here for the long haul, I can promise you that.” 

Brian smiled softly, and reached out for Freddie’s hand. 

“But I get it. The fear. With things like this...” Freddie sighed. “I mean, I’ve heard about it from friends. They wake up, and the boy they brought home is gone. Not a word. No notes. And granted, those are flings, but even a few have had it happen with long-term things. Some got answers as to why...others didn’t. And you don’t dare pry too much, because if they aren’t out about it with the people you’re asking...” 

Brian nodded. “I know you wouldn’t do that to me. But I’ve heard some stories like that myself, and...they got to me, I guess. And I think of this terrible alternate future where you aren’t...you, and you go, and the band falls apart and then it’s just me-” 

He paused, and used his free hand to wipe some of the cold water over his face, drops of it hanging on his curls. “And I know it would never be true. That you aren’t that version of you, that you would never leave like that. But I had the worst nightmare about it, while I slept...” 

“That’s it then,” Freddie said kindly. “Just a silly nightmare trying to take up space in your mind. Well, it should know you haven’t got room for it.” 

“I don’t,” Brian agreed, and he had a bit more color in his face now. 

“You don’t,” Freddie said. “You’ve got too much in there already. Music and us and the stars and so much other stuff. There’s no room for untrue nightmares to make residence.” 

Brian smiled. “Is this your way of asking me to tell you about the night sky again?” 

Freddie squeezed his hand gently. “Might be. If you were better, I’d beg you to take me outside and tell me what we can see from here.” 

“When I’m better,” Brian said. “All the way, not just feeling a bit better as long as I’m in a bath, we’ll do that. Promise.” 

Freddie knelt down, and leaned into the bath. He could only manage to kiss the corner of Brian’s mouth without falling into the water, though he wanted more. 

“I’m looking forward to it,” he smiled. “Do you want to stay in there for awhile yet? Or shall I help you out?” 

Brian opened his mouth, and Freddie could hear the ‘I don’t need help’ before he said a word. 

But then he closed his mouth again, and nodded. “I think I’m ready to get out. Thank you for running it, and I’d love the help out.” 

“Of course,” Freddie said, and set the glass onto the counter of the bathroom sink before grabbing a towel from the rack. “Slowly, and I’ll get you in this until I can get your robe.” 

Brian shivered only a little as he carefully climbed out of the tub, and as he wrapped the towel around his waist, Freddie could tell it wasn’t just from the difference in temperature. Though, he wasn’t as ‘excited’ as he had been at first, but then the cold would do that to a person. 

He snuggled into his robe adorably, watching as Freddie emptied the tub and refilled the glass of water out of the faucet in the bathroom. It was a much better energy from the time before when Brian had been watching him so closely, this time full of love and excitement, rather than uncertainty and concern. 

They shared the bed, Brian’s head resting on his chest, his long legs curled up to tuck as much into his robe as possible. 

“Which things do you want to hear about?” Brian asked softly. “Certain stars, planets?” 

“Whatever will be out there for a very long time,” Freddie said. “Ideally, the rest of time, as far as we know it.” 

Brian nodded, and pointed a finger to the ceiling, as if they were laying outside on the grass, with the night’s sky above them. “Just there? Now, 125.82 million miles away, is Mercury...” 

\---

They both fell asleep sometime around the discussing of constellations. The bowl went unused the rest of the night, and Brian’s fever didn’t rise again. 

Freddie would end up sick again with the flu a few days later, but it didn’t matter to him. 

Brian was there to take care of him, and would always be, just like he would be there for Brian. And that was all that mattered, as far as he was concerned.


End file.
